Previously, many types of carrying bags have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means for carrying mail and other heavy objects that are supported from the waist. At the present time, the United States Postal Service uses a shoulder satchel as the primary bag for transporting mail by carriers. This type of bag is supported on only one shoulder with a narrow strap. Other types of pouches and carrying accessories that encircle the wearer's waist have been developed in the past, including a mail bag structure with a single open top container that was recently introduced in an attempt to solve the specific problem of mail carriers.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,988,024 Weber 29 January 1991 4,974,761 Luque 4 December 1990 4,884,732 Sunderland 5 December 1989 4,836,428 Evans, et al 6 June 1989 4,303,187 Berman 1 December 1981 ______________________________________
Weber in U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,024 teaches a collection wire basket that has a bottom mesh structure permitting sand and other debris to fall through retaining articles larger than the openings. A bottom deflector plate protects the user and a solid panel next to the user's body prevents direct contact with the contents. The basket may be fastened around the waist using a flexible tube and an attachment clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,761 of Luque discloses a slot machine coin bag holding a container that may be adapted to be worn on one's waist with a buckled strap.
A game bag for a scuba diver is presented in Sunderland's U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,732 which includes a flexible tubular envelope with an open mouth and closed end. The mouth is attached to the diver's belt at both the front and rear with the envelope disposed between the driver's legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,428 issued to Evans, et al employs a bag of heavy material such as canvas with an open top and a sleeve or sleeves to receive a belt worn around the carrier's waist. The bag may be positioned on either side of the body and has sufficient strength to carry mail. Another embodiment has a double row of belt loops allowing the belt to be positioned in one or the other rows to adjust the height of the bag relative to the carrier's waist.
Berman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,187 provides a number of pockets on a base panel that contains a pair of belt loops through which a belt is placed and is buckled to the wearer's trousers. The lower portion of the panel includes a tie string encircling the wearer's thigh. The pockets store personal objects for the wearer.
The search revealed bags suited for specific purposes and with the exception of Evans et al disclosure, the structure renders them unsuitable for carrying mail and heavy objects around the waist. While Evans et al do attempt to solve the problem, a single open bag is disclosed attached to a wide belt. The problem of weight distribution and multiple pockets for sorted mail is still left unsolved by prior art.